1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of handles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of U.S. patents have been granted disclosing pivoting handles attached to caskets. Disclosed herein is a new and improved pivoting casket handle which transfers the lifting force to the casket side wall in such a manner to minimize the tear away force exerted between the handle and the casket side wall. Many of the prior art casket handles are designed so that the lifting force is applied to the casket side wall in a number of different angles with the end result that the casket handle base plate is forced to rotate thereby ripping the base plate from the casket side wall. Typically, the prior art handles apply the lifting force in a direction to urge the bottom edge of the base plate away from the casket side wall while simultaneously urging the top edge of the base plate toward the casket side wall resulting in rotation of the base plate. This problem is alleviated by the hinge or handle disclosed herein.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 1,954,485 issued to R. A. McClelland, there is disclosed a casket handle wherein the lifting force is applied to the base plate causing the plate to rotate. In the U.S. Pat. 2,098,421 issued to B. F. Johnson, the lifting arm applies outwardly directed force to the base plate. In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,037 issued to Bennie R. Johnson, the lifting force is applied in a direction perpendicular to the mounting wall whereas in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,611, the lifting force is applied by the lifting arm directly engaging the casket wall.